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<title>Two Hearts (One Heart 2) by RivetBucktail (orphan_account)</title>
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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26990764">Two Hearts (One Heart 2)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/RivetBucktail'>RivetBucktail (orphan_account)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Steven Universe (Cartoon)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Pokemon References, References to Depression, Steven helps</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 23:28:28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,559</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26990764</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/RivetBucktail</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Spinel and Steven spend time together.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Two Hearts (One Heart 2)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>To tie up the loose ends of this story's companion piece. Written by Rivet Bucktail.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>He watered the hydrangeas in their hanging pot in his room, and couldn’t help but feel proud of the new proficiency he’d developed in his pursuit of mastery of home gardening, without using his magic saliva to coax the plant into growing hale and hearty on his spit alone. Steven had always had a green thumb, anyway, but he’d worked harder to hone his skills in caring for plants, all since the promise he had made a while prior to the moment. His room was now filled with flowers and blooms and being in it felt a little like walking through his own personal arboretum. </p><p> </p><p>The boy left his room and went out onto the balcony, ascended the walkway outside and went into the dome that rested above his home on the outcropping of the Crystal Temple. </p><p> </p><p>The conservatory was there and he hummed as he walked into it and toward the center of the room. Before he could reach the Warp Pad there, though, it lit up and one of the Gems close to him appeared on it and waved hello. </p><p> </p><p>“I was just on my way to see you,” he told her. “How’s it going?” </p><p> </p><p>“‘S’fine,” she said with a little smile. She trotted toward him and pulled his smaller frame into a gentle hug and naturally Steven returned it. </p><p> </p><p>“Nice to see you today, Steven,” Spinel murmured. “How have you been since last time?” </p><p> </p><p>“Every day is peaceful and I’ve enjoyed it,” Steven replied. “And with practice and patience, I’m even better at caring for flowers than ever, for you. I really did take up your suggestion on learning to grow them as well as Mom knew how, and it’s a rewarding experience, gardening.” </p><p> </p><p>Spinel giggled and stepped away a few paces, placing her hands on her hips. “Though you were always good at gardening even before we met, yeah? Like a natural grower. You must have inherited that from her.” </p><p> </p><p>“Yes, I suppose,” he spoke, smiling sheepishly and scratching the back of his head. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>They took a seat in the chairs on the balcony and Spinel watched the sea as Steven spoke to her. </p><p> </p><p>“So, how goes double-jobbing on the throne and in the circus?” he asked warmly. “Does the stress ever get to you?” </p><p> </p><p>“Not usually,” she replied tiredly, “and I enjoy it. Today’s special, though. I had the day off so I thought to come see you to make sure everything with you was well and good.” </p><p> </p><p>“I appreciate that.” </p><p> </p><p>He reached into his pocket to retrieve something but clumsily lost his grip on the small device and it clattered to the hardwood surface of the wooden back porch. Spinel’s stretchy arm reached down and retrieved it before Steven was able to bend down and grab it and she held the device in her palm and looked the small handheld over. </p><p> </p><p>“What is this?” she asked. </p><p> </p><p>“Oh that? It’s a digital encyclopedia.” </p><p> </p><p>It was a pink box that had two screens and a few cameras up top and a directional pad and six buttons on its face. Before Spinel could ask anything further, an optical apparatus emerged from below the two screens and it scanned her with a green, sweeping laser-like pulse. </p><p> </p><p>“Steven, what was…?” </p><p> </p><p>“S-sorry! It’s one of Peridot’s inventions. It’s registering you since it’s the first time it’s seen you.” </p><p> </p><p>The screen suddenly turned on and the words “UNIVERSAL GEMSTONE ENCYCLOPEDIA” appeared on the top screen of the apparatus. On the lower screen read the words “Press START to Browse”. </p><p> </p><p>“Besides gardening, I’ve taken up other hobbies too,” Steven explained. “I was curious one day, and asked Peridot how many different types of Gemstone Folk there are. She’s a Certified Kindergartner, so I thought asking her would be the right place to start.” </p><p> </p><p>“What’d she say?” </p><p> </p><p>Steven held his chin in his palm. “She gave me a mischievous look and a sly giggle, and handed me that. Said she had created it with the day I became curious about my Gemstone heritage came along in mind, and told me to go out into the world and scan Gems to complete it.” </p><p> </p><p>Steven huffed. </p><p> </p><p>“Anyway,” he continued, “It’s called the <em> Universal Gemstone Index </em> , or the ‘GemDex’ for short. It’s all part of the greater  <em> Universal Gemstone Encyclopedia </em>, a digital cache of all the information in the universe about Gem types, classification, and info on each type. Peridot says the head Kindergartners under the other Diamonds besides me curate the database and maintain it, but this version of the index would be perfect for me to complete on my own.” </p><p> </p><p>Spined thumbed through the status of the Index. “Says here you’ve found over 50 types of Gems so far, Steven.” </p><p> </p><p>“Yeah! I worked hard to do that,” he replied. “The first seven I got were my two Gems, ‘Pink Diamond’, and ‘Rose Quartz’. Then ‘Pearl’, ‘Amethyst, ‘Sapphire’, ‘Ruby’; and ‘Garnet’, the Fusion…” </p><p> </p><p>Steven was thoughtful for a moment. “Then Peridot’s own Gem was added, plus Lapis’s… Jasper, Bismuth… and the Gems of Little Homeworld volunteered to help me fill the pages and all pitched in…” </p><p> </p><p>“Oh, it says there’s a new entry,” Spinel read. “It must be talking about me.” </p><p> </p><p>Steven peeked over her shoulder to catch glance at the entry. </p><p> </p><p>“It says… ‘<em> No. 122: Spinel </em>’?” she said. </p><p> </p><p>She selected the new listing. With the press of a button, it expanded to show details on the Gem type in question, and gave a brief description of Spinel’s class, mass, moh hardness and durability, and at the end of the specifications was listed another category -- <em> Formes </em>. </p><p> </p><p>By default, the encyclopedia displayed an image of her younger self, the pink, boot-clad character she had been in the happiness of her earlier life, back as Pink Diamond’s jester and playmate. </p><p> </p><p>“...It says ‘<em> Jolly Forme </em>’. That’s what it’s calling what I originally looked like.” </p><p> </p><p>Thoughts of her Master came rushing back to her mind and she frowned a bit, furrowing her brow ever-so-slightly. Spinel used the direction pad to flip to the adjacent entry. </p><p> </p><p>“...The other <em> Forme </em> says, ‘Heart’… huh.” </p><p> </p><p>On the next page over was an entry on the way she now was, with frayed hair, curled toes, and facial markings that resembled running mascara. The caption below the image read “Heartbreak <em> Forme </em>”. </p><p> </p><p>“Is that what it’s calling that?” Spinel asked, boredly. Steven felt something prick him inside, and his own heart was filled with empathy for his friend. </p><p> </p><p>“Spinel, I-I...I’m sorry if the GemDex…” </p><p> </p><p>“I’m not offended,” she replied calmly. “I’m just surprised that this thing was able to figure out what was wrong with me. It’s pretty well-made Gem tech.” </p><p> </p><p>“I…” </p><p> </p><p>“What are you upset about?” she asked. </p><p> </p><p>“It just seemed a bit...rude toward you. It didn’t have any sympathy for your circumstances or what you’ve been through. Just...insensitively blunt,” Steven said and looked sad. </p><p> </p><p>“It’s an encyclopedia, so it’s supposed to be objective, not subjective,” she replied. </p><p> </p><p>“...I was afraid it would cause you to cry. After your heart’s already been broken and you and I are working to help you recover from that…” </p><p> </p><p>Spinel chuckled a bit. “It’s fine, Steven. Don’t let something like that make you downcast. Stay upbeat!” she said and used her hands to stretch her visage into a wacky smile, letting her eyes go out of whack and lolling her tongue out of her mouth. </p><p> </p><p>Steven laughed, which made Spinel act in kind. “That actually scares some people, so I’m glad that you liked it,” she said sheepishly. </p><p> </p><p>“Ahahaha!” </p><p> </p><p>Spinel sighed, looking away and her smile shrank. “It really did break my heart, though, when I finally found out she no longer existed as ‘herself’,” she told him. </p><p> </p><p>“Right…” Steven said somberly. </p><p> </p><p>“She’s you now… And of course you don’t remember life lived as her at all. None of her memories; never hearing her… It’s almost like there isn’t anything left of the person she used to be…” </p><p> </p><p>“Spinel…” </p><p> </p><p>“I’m alright, though,” she said. “Thanks to you, each day I’m taking steps toward becoming the person <em> I </em> used to be again. Things don’t hurt as much and I’m honestly making progress toward healing from the hurt I feel inside.” </p><p> </p><p>Steven smiled a little at hearing that. </p><p> </p><p>“Thanks, Steven,” Spinel said. </p><p> </p><p>“Of course, Spinel. I’m happy to be here for you. Really, I am.” </p><p> </p><p>And Spinel smiled at hearing that, because her friend was truly there for her when she needed him. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>****** </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>She returned home later that day to Diamond Palace to take a seat on the throne. When White Diamond greeted her as usual she replied and told her and the other two Diamonds about her day, Steven, and the GemDex. </p><p> </p><p>“Oh, that?” White Diamond asked. “If you ever want to browse it, just let us know! In fact, as ruler, you should already have the security clearance as admin to make changes to the system if ever you wanted to.” </p><p> </p><p>There would be another performance tomorrow at Capitol City’s big top, so Spinel bid the Diamonds good night and retired to her quarters and bed to try something novel -- falling asleep like a human would. </p><p> </p><p>She closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep under the covers… dreaming fondly of double-jobbing on the throne and in the circus, the GemDex… </p><p> </p><p>And most pleasantly, she dreamt of her best friend and confidant, Steven Universe. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <b> END </b>
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